


Pawprints Across The Heart

by thunderstormsablaze



Category: All Elite Wrestling
Genre: Because it's me, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, M/M, eddie just wants his dog okay, small food fight, they're both idiots, tiny bit of alcohol mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29983860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderstormsablaze/pseuds/thunderstormsablaze
Summary: Eddie wants a dog. Jon most certainly does not want a dog.
Relationships: Dean Ambrose | Jon Moxley/Eddie Kingston
Kudos: 20





	Pawprints Across The Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Do I need to stop writing so much of these two? Maybe.

The perfect life, one Eddie never thought he would have. Not someone like him, destined for a ride and die life, happiness never in the cards he drew. Somewhere along the line, someone fucked up. Because Eddie has the life of his dreams, something he knows he never should have had. He doesn't deserve it. Not at all, this should be someone else's. Anyone else's, not his. 

His mind a storm, he doesn't notice his husband walking out of their house- yes, Eddie has a house. A full on picket fence house. He can't believe it. And it's with the man he loves and has loved for over a decade. It still doesn't feel real, even though they've lived together for the better part of a decade. Though they never had the time to spend together at home due to traveling constantly, so it still feels new.

Eddie jumps as Jon sits next to him, handing him a beer and wrapping his arm around his shoulders. A small smile, his body relaxes as he leans into Jon. This helps, quieting all the doubts in his mind, he knows his husband wouldn't be there if he didn't want to be. But it's still so hard to convince himself he deserves this. 

The gentle kiss that follows calms him further, settling the whirlwind of his mind. He leans closer against the ginger, setting his half full glass down and wrapping his arms around him. Face burying itself in Jon's neck, he earns a quiet laugh and kiss to his forehead. Eddie smiles, kissing his neck gently before resting his head on his chest. 

Silence blankets them in the summer night, the quiet sound of crickets filling the night air. It's times like these Eddie's glad neither are bothered too much by mosquitoes, not wanting to get up and deal with them. Eddie loves it, just spending time together without a care in the world. But a small part of him feels like something's missing, one last piece to perfection.

"Hey babe, what do you think about getting a dog?" Eddie asks, turning his head up to look at his husband. It took him a while to figure out what exactly it was, that empty feeling, but eventually he figured it out. Just the two of them is great, perfect, but to complete his childhood dream he always wanted a dog. 

A pause, "you… want… a dog. You want us to get a dog. I love you, you idiot, but we don't have time for a dog." Jon protests, a small pout tugging at Eddie's lips. "We're on the road a ton, we wouldn't be able to give the dog a good home." 

"But honey, everyone has dogs. Diamante, Anna, Max, all of them have dogs. Even Cody has three of them, they make it work. We can too." Eddie pouts more and kisses Jon's cheek, "please? We're not on the road a ton anymore now that it's every other week, and we can take the dog with us like they do."

Jon rolls his eyes, "idiot, it wouldn't work. I love you a ton and would do anything for you, but I'm also here to tell you when you're being stupid. This is one of those times. Maybe after one of us retires we can think about it, but we can't take care of a dog at the moment."

Eddie huffs and falls quiet, both of them knowing the discussion isn't over yet but it's enough for now. Unfortunately, Eddie knows Jon, and knows he's serious about this. Not something he can easily change his mind on like so many other things. So he's forced to accept they aren't getting a dog anytime soon. Oh well, Eddie has most of his dream right here, and that's more than enough.

But when they go out for a walk one night, Eddie can't help but see all of the dogs around. He stops to pet most of them, earning a sigh from his husband, but he ignores it. If they can't get a dog goddamn it he'll make sure to pet all of the ones he can. It's all Jon's fault, really. If he just let Eddie get the dog he wanted he wouldn't be like this.

Another trip to Jacksonville, another dynamite, another taping, another flight back home. They collapse into bed, exhausted from the whirlwind of things over the past few days. But it's worth it to do what he loves with the man he loves. Now if only he could get that dog… 

A small part of him agrees with Jon, that they're already busy constantly with wrestling, but a much larger part of him insists they'll figure it out. Besides, Cody has many dogs and he has more responsibilities than they do. Alas, Eddie knows Jon isn't going to listen to him just yet, he needs a little longer to sit on it before Eddie may get a different answer.

Luckily for him, it only takes a few days before he sees Jon in a good mood. Eddie smiles, Jon deserves to be happy, and it's even better since he may be more susceptible to things. Like getting a dog. Because he still hasn't forgotten about that, how could he, it just went to the back of his mind in favor of spending time with Jon. So over dinner, he asks again.

"Hey sweetie, how about adopting a dog?" He asks in between bites of chicken and rice, looking up at Jon with a hopeful glint in his eyes. Of course it might be futile, nothing coming of it, but he has to try. Because now that he allowed himself to think about the possibility of getting a dog, that's all he can think about. 

A sigh and shake of the head, "no dear, we're not getting a dog." No matter how much arguing and pleading Eddie does, Jon doesn't change his mind. It's one of the things Eddie loves and hates about his husband, his stubbornness. It's admirable at times, others downright annoying. This is the annoying time.

Eddie pouts and falls silent, stabbing his chicken as he wishes there was a furry four legged friend for him to slip food to. He should've expected this response, he doesn't know why he thought it would be different. Maybe just a lot of wishful thinking. But he can't help himself, he really wants a dog. Of course it's childish, but dogs bring that out of everyone. 

A handful of weeks go by before Eddie finds himself with arms of groceries in the pouring rain. He curses himself, why didn't he make Jon get them today, it was his turn anyway. But no, Eddie had to be a good partner and get them this time, letting Jon relax after his intense matches lately. 

Suddenly he hears a whining from the alleyway next to where he parked. Eddie furrows his eyebrows, unlocking the trunk and loading the food into it before closing the trunk and going into the alley. Normally, he might be worried it's some sort of mugging trick, but he figures if they're dedicated enough to pull this in this weather they deserve the $20 Eddie still has on him.

Peering into the alley, he doesn't see anything at first, no source of the sounds. Until he looks down and his heart melts, there's a sad looking pitbull huddled into the corner without a collar. Eddie slowly approaches, kneeling down a few feet away and holding out his hand. The dog hesitantly sniffs him for a few moments before walking towards him.

Eddie smiles and pets the dog gently, hearing the dogs stomach growl and looking at them sadly. "Hey there pup, it's okay. Wait here for a minute, alright? I'll be back with some food for you." A few more pets to the dog until Eddie gets up, "stay here," he slowly gets up and walks back into the store, searching for the dog food aisle. 

Upon seeing it, he buys a few cans of food, not really sure how much to feed the dog but he knows the dog is kind of big so he needs a few cans. He buys them and takes them out to the dog, opening the first one and digging out a chunk with his fingers. He didn't have enough money to buy any sort of bowl, so by hand will have to do.

The dog wags their tail as he comes back and Eddie grins, holding out the chunk of food which the dog wolfs down. Eddie slowly feeds the dog half the can then waits, heart breaking when he hears the whimpers from the dog but knowing he needs to wait. If the dog eats too much too fast they could get sick, and Eddie doesn't want that. 

But he can't sit there forever and take care of the dog, already Jon must be wondering where he is. And it wouldn't be good if Eddie brought the pitbull back home, but then he takes another look at how sad the dog looks and he knows he has to bring the pup home. Sure Jon will be mad at him, but how can he resist. He can survive the wrath, but not the guilt in his stomach if he abandoned the poor dog.

So he leads the dog back to the car with the remaining food in the can, feeding a bit more to, he checks, her until she gets in. As he drives home, he rehearses what he's going to say to his husband so he doesn't make him get rid of the dog. At least he hopes that'll be enough, at least for the night. Because he can't bring himself to leave the dog alone in the rain, it's not in him.

When he gets home, Jon opens the door, "what took you so long? Were there really that many people there?" He asks, going into the garage to help unload the groceries. Until he sees the dog in the back seat wagging her tail up at him. "Babe, what the fuck is this? I told you we're not getting a goddamn dog."

Eddie pets her and lets her out of the car, "come on dear, I couldn't just leave her hungry and alone in the rain. And she doesn't have any tags otherwise I would've taken her home. Please? She was hungry, probably hadn't had a home for a while."

Jon rolls his eyes, "we're taking her to the vet. She looks like she was a house pet, she probably has a microchip or something. Come on, help me get the groceries inside, we can give her some water and then she's going to the vet. She might have all sorts of parasites and diseases."   
  
Eddie pouts but nods, taking some of the food and bringing it inside, careful to not drip too much water around the house. Then he fills a bowl with water and brings it to the garage, setting it down for her to drink from. A longing look at her before he goes inside, drying the water he tracked in and helping Jon put away the food.

Tension fills the room, Eddie knows his husband is angry. But he couldn't help it, she was so lonely in the rain. With a sigh he follows Jon to the car, getting in the back with the dog as Jon drives to the vet. Eddie gets out and the dog hops out behind him, easily following the two men into the vets office. It's a good thing since he never thought of getting a leash.

While Jon talks to the vet about the stray, Eddie sits on the ground, petting her. He knows she'll be taken away from him soon and he wants to spend as much time as he can with her. Try to be a light in whatever dark times she's been through lately. He doesn't pay much attention to what they're saying until they take her back to an exam room to check her over for a microchip and any other problems.

A glance at his annoyed partner, Eddie sighs quietly and leans against the counter, petting whatever dogs come in while they wait for the results of the dog he found. A while later, one of the people returns with her, "so she doesn't have a microchip, and she's in pretty good health. She's a bit underweight and dehydrated so we gave her more food and water, but that tells me she hasn't had a home in a while. Are you interested in keeping her? She seems to like you."

Jon shakes his head, "I'm sorry but no, we can't have a dog with our lifestyle at the moment." She nods in understanding and looks down at the dog, "do you mind taking her to the shelter? We're a bit busy right now and she would just be waiting in a crate for a while until we close."   


Immediately Eddie nods his head, "we can do that." She nods and gives him the makeshift leash as he ignores the glares from his husband. If he has to leave her alone again, it's going to be at the shelter, not here. He has to make sure she's going to be taken care of since he knows people are more wary around pitbulls for some reason.

He doesn't know why, they're some of the sweetest and derpiest dogs he knows. But it's a thing, and he needs to make sure she'll be in good hands. Besides it's not like he's not already in the dog house with Jon, what's one more stop to add to it. 

So he gets back in the car, putting the dog in the back and climbing in, this time in the driver's seat as Jon gets in the side. He pulls up the address on his phone and sets it up, following the directions on the phone. It hurts having to leave her in the shelter, but Eddie knows it's for the best. Because Jon just isn't budging from not getting a dog. Eddie hoped spending more time with her would convince him, alas to no avail.

Once they get to the shelter, Eddie gets out and brings the dog with him, a sad smile as he hands her over to the worker there. He kneels down and pets her more, "you're a good girl okay? You'll find a good home with people to love you, how can they not, you're such a sweetie. I'm sorry I gotta go, but you'll have a good life, I promise."

Before he starts crying he gets up and walks out, ignoring the whining from the dog behind him. It hurts more than it should getting rid of her, after all he barely knew her for four hours. But she left pawprints on his heart that won't fade for quite some time.

He ignores the pitying look he gets from Jon as he drives them home, not mad at him but at the entire situation. He didn't want to leave her. The day passes in a blur, tension still between the two men, one angry and the other sad. But Eddie pretends like everything's fine, the only sign things aren't his constant looks over at the bowl of water on the counter he didn't have the heart to empty just yet.

\-----

Jon hates this. He doesn't want a dog goddamn it, they don't have the time to give a dog the proper attention. But he doesn't know how many more depressed looks he can stand from his husband. He does his best to ignore them, it's not his fault they can't have a dog, yet they still hurt. It's been a long time since he's seen Eddie this sad, and he hates it.

\-----

The night passes with much of the awkwardness clinging to them no matter how much they try to get rid of it. Morning comes and it's a bit better, no longer as stifling. They return to how they were, lazy kisses each time they pass, casual bickering over meaningless things. Eddie relaxes, leaning into Jon again and teasing him playfully over the beard he's growing. 

Jon rolls his eyes and fires back comments about his hair that desperately needs a shave again, having been a few weeks since Eddie got it cut. It earns him a groan and punch to the arm, Eddie has an appointment that morning and Jon knows that. But it doesn't stop it from being a target. 

Making breakfast almost turns into a full blown food fight, first Eddie wiping some pancake batter on Jon's shoulder, getting himself a face full of flour in return. Giggles and grins fill the kitchen as they throw flour and batter back and forth, only barely having enough at the end to get two pancakes out of it. But it was worth the hour of cleanup. At least for the most part.

Pretty soon Eddie leaves for the barber, full of happiness again from the morning antics. He tried shaving his head himself before, but that didn't end very well, uneven patches and almost nicking his ears too many times to count. So now he gets it done by someone who actually knows what they're doing, it's just easier that way.

It doesn't take too long, barely twenty minutes and he's out. But on the way back he picks up some more beer, they go through it fairly quickly and it's always nice to have some extra on hand. Besides, there's a new flavour he's been meaning to try and now's the perfect time to get some before he forgets about it. 

He gets home and parks in the garage, getting the beer and opening the door, yelling out in a high pitched voice "honey! I'm home!" Much to his surprise there's no response but he shrugs, putting the beer in the fridge, assuming his husband was just taking a walk around the neighborhood. After all, his car was still there. 

Not even a minute later the door opens as Eddie throws out the bag the beer came in. But this time there's something else, not just the heavy thud of Jon's boots. He can't believe it, a rush of paws on their wood floor and jingle of dog tags before he's met with a bundle of fur and warm, squirmy, happy dog.

A grin splits Eddie's face, elation coursing down his spine as he bends down, met with a tongue all over his face. She's back, her frantically wagging tail knocking against him but he doesn't care. He hugs the- no wait  _ his _ \- dog tight and looks up, a goofy grin across his face as he sees Jon smile down at them. "You- what- how-"

Jon shrugs and smiles, "I saw how sad you were yesterday and knew I had to do something about it." He says simply, sitting on the floor next to them while petting her, "her name's Delilah, she's three years old." He pets her a little as she licks his fingers.

Eddie pulls him in for a kiss as the dog settles between them, petting her as he kisses his husband, "thank you so much." He mumbles and leans into him, Delilah's head in his lap. "You're the best husband I could've hoped for, I love you so much babe." He kisses him more while they sit on the ground. The perfect life, one Eddie never thought he would have. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry if it's not very fluffy I tried. Also apparently Delilah is a cocktail which is how I got the name. Plus pitbulls are so adorable and deserve all the love in the world.


End file.
